Atomic Redster Club Sport 130

The 2018/2019 Atomic Redster Club Sport was tested in the men's Frontside category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.

The Gist

No frills but no flaws—testers applaud the race bred perfection of the Redster Club Sport and its true-to-96 mm fit tension that grabbed onto the foot with performance-minded intentions and didn't let go. This one's the real deal, they said, and it got better at higher speeds on harder snows—sort of like you'd expect, right? Built for skilled skiers intent on carving hard and skiing fast, and it will not disappoint them. Our favorite Frontside Atomic in years.

The Fit

The tightest fit of the test is what our crew claimed, with a particularly aggressive grip on the heel and an extremely close fit along the lateral column, where testers squealed a bit about their styloid process bony bits. As one would expect from a true 96 mm Frontsider, this fit will require a bootfitter's help to even out pressure along bony prominences for all but the most slender of feet. The flex feel is firm, both in liner cushioning and shell movement, but appropriately so according to testers, who gave praise in the form of comments about little, brick-built structures.

Performance

Stance-wise comments revolved around different ways of saying, "perfect," and power and quickness scores both topped the graph. "Skis fantastically well." said one tester, and another mentioned that aggressive medium and long radius arcs were the boot's sweet spot, though its high quickness scores suggest it bangs out the shorties just fine.

Cool Features

Testers still like the basics of a polyurethane shell and cuff with no monkey business, and that's what you get here—traditional, tried and true, though Atomic uses what they call TrueFlex polyurethane in the Redster (and in Hawx Ultra) which has a more consistent flex over a broader temperature range. Most also liked the blood red hue, and most considered the boot easy-enough on and off for the racy Frontside group. Testers mentioned liking the 55 mm Dual power strap that allows for differential adjustment for where it strikes the liner tongue and the shell's cuff wrap. The polyurethane plastic is also infused with Memolink additive, so a Memory Fit cook job could be one tool in the bootfitter's quiver for opening up some breathing room as needed.

Gender

Men's

Sizes (MP)

23.0-29.5

Hike Mode

No

Heat Moldable Liner

No

Construction

Overlap

Boot width profile

Narrow

Also in this Collection

Redster Club Sport 110, $600

Cantology Compatible

Recommended for Seniors

Total Avg Score

4.27

Shell/Cuff/Tongue

polyurethane/polyurethane/n.a.

Anatomical Fit and Initial Feel

3.83

Dynamic Balance

4.57

Edge Power & Fore-Aft Support

4.71

Quickness, Steering & Feel

4.43

Convenience, Warmth & Features

3.71

Kudos

“Tight! Almost too snug for me but loaded with the promises of a true ripper. Super solid initial fit, and nothing a good bootfitter couldn't help you with. Amazing all-mountain killer carver. This boot is shred-ready to take on everything with charging style.” -- Adam Tutskey

“A precise arcing machine worthy of the Frontside boot group. Precision, power and quickness--worked well for me! Strong and powerful to the edge with perfect angles for my skiing style. Think it in your mind and the ski turns.” -- Jim Schaffner

Caveats

“It's not a supple, flexy boot—it's pretty rigid with a bit of all on or all off attitude. Lacks ground feel and feather at slower speeds. Better be ready to man-up and hammer on it to find the magic—it's there.” -- Mark Elling